Car-brake



(No Model.)

OAR BRAKE.

Patented Nov 22, 1892.

iii

THE Noam: PETERS co, Pnm'ournon WASHINGTON, o c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEE.

PATRICK J. LAYVRENOE AND MILES F. GARRETTSON, OF WELLSTON, MISSOURI.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,785, dated November22, 1892.

Application filed June 13, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PATRICK J. LAWRENCE and MILES F. GARRETTSON,citizens of the United States, residing at Wellston, St. Louis county,State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInstantaneous Release Mechanism for (Jar-Brakes, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Our invention relates to improvements in instantaneous release mechanismfor carbrakes; and it consists in the novel construction, combination,and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described,and designated in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of our complete inventionas applied to an ordinary street-car. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionalview and its parts, showing in detail the construction of same. Fig. 3is a transverse sectional view taken through the line a: a; of Fig. 2. v

The object of our invention is to construct a car-brake provided with aninstantaneous release mechanism, in the operation of which the unduejarring of the car and the conse quent wear and tear on the parts of thebrake when released is entirely obviated. By the use of formercar-brakes having a ratchet- Wheel the pawl engaging same has beenmanipulated by the foot of the person running the car.

While in our improvement the brake is still operated by the driver, thebrake is released by the use of combinations of levers adapted to beoperated by the foot, which we have found much more expeditious and safein the operation of car-brakes.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates an ordinary railway street-carwith parts broken away. It is provided with an extending platform 2,embodying the usual construction. Secured to the front cross-piece 3 ofsaid platform 2 and projecting at right angles therefrom is a dash board4. Secured to said dash-board 4 are receiving collars or eyebolts 5 and6, in which the brake-rod 7 is held a relative distance from the frontof the dashboard 4.

" We will now minutely describe the con- Serial No. 436,551. (No model.)

struction of the brake-rod 7. Its upper terminal 8 is curved in such amanner asjopio' vide a suitable lever-hold for the proper ma- 10 issquared and its lower terminal 11 is. rounded and fits into a sleeve 12,for the purpose more fully hereinafter described. This sleeve isprovided with a lug 13 and has a perforation 14, adapted to secure thebrakechain 15. Mechanically secured to the upper end of said sleeve 12is a ratchet-wheel16. This ratchet is secured at its exact center, andthe joint is preferably made in such a manner that while the joint isperfectly secure, yet the sleeveis detachable. The sleeve 12 iscylindrical in form and adapted to receive the lower portion 11 of thebrake-rod 7. Formed integrally with or secured to the top of theratchet-wheel 16 is a clutch-jaw 17, provided with a centralperforation, which is square and adapted to receive the squared portion10 of the brake-rod 7, and said perforation coincides with the sleeve12. A clutch-jaw 18, provided with a perforation through its centersimilar to that of the clutch 17, is adapted to fit upon the squaredportion 10 of the brake-rod 7 and engage said clutch 17. The clutch-jaw18 is provided with an annular groove 19 near its upper end, forpurposes more fully hereinafter described. A yoke 20, circular in formand larger than the periphery of the clutch-jaw 18, is pivotally securedin a horizontal position at one side to the casing 21, which serves as aprotector for the working mechanism of our brake. Projecting inwardlyfrom the inner periphery of the yoke 20 are circular lugs 22, which areadapted to engage within the annular groove 19 of the clutch-jaw 18. Theopposite side of the yoke to that which is secured to the casing 21 hasa downwardly-projecting lever 23, which is practically S-shaped in sideview and which is pivotally secured to an upright lever 24. A horizontallever 25, pivoted at its center to a bracket 26 and at one end with thedepending lever 24, has a foot-treadle 27 secured to its outer or freeend. Said foottreadle 27 comprises an upright bar 28, which is securedat its lower end to the horizontal lever 25, and has upon its upper enda flat cap 29, by means of which it is manipulated. The operation ofthese levers will be described farther on. As is usual in car-brakeconstruction, the ratchet-wheel 16 has a pawl or dog adapted to engagethe serrated edge or teeth of said ratchet 16. Said pawl 30 embodies theusual construction and design, except that it is provided with a slot31, which is adapted to engage a bell-crank lever 32,which has its lowerend pivoted to a bracket 1 33, secured upon the inside face of thecrosspiece 3 of the platform 2. This lever has a projecting arm 34extending from its pivoted position on the bracket 33 and extendingbackward toward the foot-treadle 27, and has upon its free end a treadle.35, similarin construction to the treadle 27, and is located a relativedistance therefrom, in order that both t-readles 27 and 35 .can beoperated at once or independently of each other. As before stated, thecasing 21 serves as a protector from the effects of dirt, weather, &c.,and also as a support for the pivoting of the yoke 20. While the upperpart of the brake-rod is sesecurely held by its bearings 5 and 6, thelower part is adjustably secured by means of a removable brace-rod 36,which may be removed by withdrawing the pin 37, which projects throughthe lower end 11 of the brakerod 7.

Having briefly stated the object and described the construction of ourinvention, we will now proceed with its operation.

As before stated, our invention is especially applicable forstreet-railway car use, and in the following explanation it will bepremised that the brake is connected with the brakeshoesby theintermediate chains, &c. When the brake is locked the parts are inposition, as shown in Fig. 3, and the chain is partially wound upon thesleeve or drum 11. When it is desired to release said brake, the foot isplaced upon the treadles 27 and 35 and the following operation is theresult: The downward movement of the treadle 35 forces down thehorizontal lever 34, and consequently the other end of said lever, whichengages in the slot 31 in the pawl 30 and forces the same backward outof the tooth of the ratchet 16 by which it has been engaged, thusreleasing said ratchet from its contact with the pawl 30. Coincidingwith this movement of the treadle 35 and its accompanying levers is theraising of the clutch 18 from its engagement in the clutch 17. Thisoperation takes place.

in the following manner: The lowering of the treadle 27, secured to oneend of the lever 25, tilts up the opposite end of said lever25 upon itspivoted connection to the bracket 26. This vertical motion is impartedto the lever 24 and also to the lever 23 connected thereto, and thismovement raises the yoke 20 and at the same time elevates or releasesthe clutch-jaw 18 by means of the lugs 22, which are part of the yoke20, and are engaged in the annular groove 1-9 of the clutch-jaw 18.While the periphery of said yoke 20 is pivoted to the casing 21, stillthe sliding movement of said lugs 22 within the annular groove 19 ofsaid clutch-jaw 18 guarantees the upward or release movement of the saidclutch-jaw 18. A spring 38, fastened between the horizontal lever 34 andthe bottom of the car-floor 2, pulls said horizontal lever 34: upward,and conse quently the treadle 35 is always in position for operation.The operator of the car winds up the brake and at the same time that thechain winds upon the sleeve 12 the pawl 30 is engaging the teeth of theratchet 16. When it is desired to allow the clutch 18 to engage the jaw19,the treadle 27 is released from the position in which it was held bythe hook, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and consequently theclutch-jaw 18 is allowed to re-engage the clutch 17.

One of the principal objections to former car-brakes has been thenecessity of either unwinding the brake-handle or else letting it flyback to its normal position by the sudden release of the pawl, whichoperation causes a loss of time and endangers the safety of theoperator. In our invention we have embodied a construction which doesentirely away with the objectionable feature before mentioned.

When the brake is wound up and the brake- 7 shoes are in contact withthe wheels and it is desired to release the same, the foot is presseddownward upon the two levers 27 and 35, thus releasing the clutchengagement and withdrawing the pawl from its position in the teeth ofthe ratchet 16.

As the sleeve 12, the ratchet 16, and clutchjaw 17 formed therewith arenot in connection with the brake-rod in any secure manner, therefore inthe release of said ratchet, clutchjaw,and sleeve, with the brake-chainmounted thereon, the brake-rod remains perfectly stationary, and thesleeve 11, ratchet 16, and clutch-jaw 17 are the only parts of ourinvention which revolve.

The opposite faces of the clutch-j aw 18 and the jaw 17 are providedwith what we term ratchet-teeth arranged to lock the said jaws togetherduring revolution of the clutch-jaw in one direction and to permit saidjaw to be revolved in the opposite direction without revolving the jaw17 and the parts fixed to it, as shown. By this means we provide whatmay be termed a ratchet-handle in addition to the improved foot-operatedrelease mechanism, the handle being freely revoluble in one directionwithout affecting the position of the sleeve or drum upon which thebrake-chain is wound. 1

Having fully described our invention, what we claim is 1. The improvedrelease mechanism for street-car brakes, comprising the combination of arevoluble brake-handle, a ratchet-wheel 16, mounted to revolve withoutmovement of said handle,a jaw 17, having ratchet-teeth and mounted torevolve with said ratchet-wheel,

a sleeve or drum 12 for the brake-chain, having its upper end connectedto said ratchetwheel 16 to revolve therewith, a clutch-jaw 18, mountedto slide vertically upon and revolve with said brake-handle and providedwith ratchet-teeth which normally engage the teeth of said jaw, a dog orpawl normally in engagement with the teeth of said ratchetwheel 16, anda foot-treadle for simultaneously disengaging this pawl from the teethof said ratchet-wheel and disengaging the teeth of the clutch-jaw fromthe teeth of the jaw 17, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An instantaneous release mechanism for r 5 car-brakes, having abrake-handle suitably secured in bearings to the dash-board 4 of the car1 and having mounted thereon asleeve 12, ratchet 16, and a clutch-j aw17, and said sleeve 12, ratchet 16,.and clutch-j aw 17 being formedintegrally with or mechanically secured with each other, substantiallyas set forth.

3. An instantaneous release mechanism for car-brakes, having aclutch-jaw 18, adapted to engage in the teeth of the clutch-jaw 17, 25said clutch-jaw 18 provided with an annular groove 19, into which fitthe lugs 22 of ayoke 20, said yoke being pivotally secured on one sideto the casing 21 and on the other side by means of a series of levers toa foot-treadle 3o 27, and said clutch-jaw 18 being adapted to bereleased from its engagement with said clutch-j aw 17 by the downwardmovement of the foot-treadle 27 projecting above the platform 2 of saidcar, substantially as set forth.

4. An instantaneous release mechanism for 3 5 car-brakes, having aratchet 16 revolubly mounted with a sleeve 12 and clutch-jaw 17 upon thebrake-rod, a pawl 30, provided with a slot 31, a bell-crank lever 32,engaging in said slot 31 and connected by a series of levers 4o pivotedto a bracket 26 and held in contact under the floor of said platform bya spring 38 with the treadle 35, and said pawl adapted to be releasedfrom its engagement in the teeth of said ratchet 16 by the downwardmovement of the treadle 35, substantially as set forth.

5. An instantaneous release mechanism for car-brakes, having a revolublesleeve 12, a ratchet 16, a clutch-j aw 17 formed therewith, a yoke 20,and pawl 30, all forming parts of the release mechanism and incased andprotected by a casing 21, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

PATRICK J. LAWRENCE. MILES F. GARRETTSON. Witnesses:

HERBERT S. ROBINSON, ALFRED A. EIcKs.

